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Backing up from 'all dogs' aren't you? I don't trust these breeds around my kids either. But anyone tryingto make the case that pits are just another harmless breed unless mistreated is whistling out his ear.
Never said ALL dogs. I said any dog. So have you ever raised a Pitbull in a loving home? Apparently not. Kind of like having the mindset that all blacks are on welfare and all muslims are terrorists. Dont be so closed minded. Leave that to the libs.
Beyond the fact that there are no "harmless" breeds...
I agree, there is more to it than just mistreatment.
A well treated dog of any breed left unsupervised can get into trouble.
Larger dogs can potentially cause greater harm when left unsupervised.
Here's a recent case...
JACKSONVILLE, FL--Thankful the injury in this instance was not catastrophic.
A 5-year-old girl is recovering after she was attacked by a neighbors dog. The pit bull was chained up but it looks like the girl just got too close.The girl has serious injuries to her face. The owner of the dog, Simona Metz, tells us she was outside raking when she heard her dog, Sunshine, growl. Then the dog snapped at the little girl.
Melissa Warren is the mother of the little girl. She says the bite actually ripped her daughter's face open.
The dog is in quarantine. Warren says the dog should be put down, while Metz just wants her dog back. She says her family has warnings signs up and that their Sunshine should come home.
The owner appears to be a responsible owner.
She has named her dog "Sunshine" that plus the fact she is a woman
probably eliminates the "macho dog owner" factor.
She had placed warning signs about the presence of a dog.
She had contained her dog on her property.
In all likelihood she is not legal responsible and will get her dog back.
But... while not legally responsible I'm fairly sure she feels bad
that this happened and wishes it hadn't.
What could she have done to prevent it?
She was outside at the time but did not have the dog under observation.
I think that in a neighborhood situation we should not assume
surrounding parents are necessarily going to responsible.
The best approach for ourselves, our dogs, and the safety of innocents
is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
If the owner is going to chain their dog outside,
then it must be supervised at all times
or more sensibly the yard must be contained by a secure fence.
It is akin to having a backyard pool.
We can put up warning signs but dare not assume that alone
will prevent a wandering child from entering our yard and drowning.